Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 1 April 2026)





Nymphaea lutea L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Nymphaea lutea in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 510.
   today: The current name for this species is Nuphar lutea (L.) Sibth. & Sm.


original Latin description
Nymphaea calice [sic] magno pentaphyllo.

English translation
Nymphaea with a calyx large [and] five-leaved.


English translation with commentary
Nymphaea Nymphaea
with a calyx calice [sic] - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun calyx, calycis
large magno - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective magnus, -a, -um; modifies calice [sic]
[and] added for smoother reading
five-leaved. pentaphyllo - ablative singular neuter of group A adjective pentaphyllus, -a, -um; modifies calice [sic]


For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here.         To access the botanical Latin concordance, please click here.